[Metabolic encephalopathies].

[Metabolic encephalopathies]. Rev Med Interne. 2019 Jan 09;: Authors: Marois C, Quirins M, Hermann B, Mouri S, Bouzbib C, Rudler M, Thabut D, Weiss N Abstract Metabolic encephalopathies (ME) are a common cause of admission to emergency rooms, to hospitalization wards or to intensive care units. They could account for 10 to 20% of causes of comatose states in ICU and could be associated to a poor outcome especially in older patients. Nevertheless, they are often reversible and are associated with a favorable outcome when diagnosed and rapidly treated. They correspond to an altered brain functioning secondary to the deficiency of a substance that is mandatory for the normal brain functioning or to the accumulation of a substance that can be either endogenous or exogenous. It preferably occurs in co-morbid patients, complicating its diagnosis and its management. Altered brain functioning, going from mild neuropsychological impairment to coma, movement disorders especially myoclonus and the absence of any obvious differential diagnosis are highly suggestive of the diagnosis. Whereas some biological samplings and brain MRI are essential to rule out differential diagnosis, some others, such as electroencephalogram, may be able to propose important clues in favor of the diagnosis. Once simple symptomatic measures are introduced, the treatment consists mainly in the correction of the cause. Specific treatment options are only seldom availabl...
Source: Revue de Medecine Interne - Category: Internal Medicine Tags: Rev Med Interne Source Type: research